


Right Where You Belong

by SheeWolf85



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Dadster, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good W. D. Gaster, Good dad Gaster, Hurt/Comfort, Older brother Edge, Other, Panic Attacks, Pre-Spicyhoney, baby bro red, based on twitter ramblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:48:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23385505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheeWolf85/pseuds/SheeWolf85
Summary: Based on Twitter ramblings from Keelywolfe, Nanenna, myself, and many others!Edge is the older brother here, only a teenager himself and living on the streets with Red when he's invited by Rus to stay at his place with his dad and younger brother. He can watch the kids while Rus goes to work at the lab with Gaster! It's perfect! And it is, for a while, until one day the kids get into a fight and Blue gets hurt.As much as Edge wants to comfort the kids and make sure everything is okay, he can't help but wonder what's going to happen when Rus and Gaster get home. Will he and his brother lose their warm, safe home?
Comments: 32
Kudos: 87





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been stuck in my head ever since this morning when it was talked about on Twitter. It had to be written!
> 
> One quick note here, Edge and Rus are the same age, about sixteen or so. Rus can't do much at the lab, but enough to earn a bit of cash to help out with the bills. 
> 
> I want to gift this to the ppl on Twitter, but I feel like I'd miss someone, so, if you were part of the twitter convo, consider this your gift!

Stars, he was tired. He hadn’t slept well the night before because his baby brother hadn’t slept well, and all Edge wanted was a damn nap that he wasn’t likely to get anytime soon seeing as how he was the only one in the house to watch the two younger kids. 

Which, admittedly, he wasn’t doing a very good job of at the moment. But they were fine; they were in Blue’s room playing while Edge attempted to keep his sockets open in the living room. He was listening, though, and they seemed to be playing some sort of superhero game, both of them being the heroes while several of Blue’s stuffed animals played the bad guys. It was honestly cute, even if they were both a bit grouchy today. 

To top it off, neither of the toddlers had taken a nap. Edge had honestly expected Red to pass right the heck out since he’d barely slept the night before, but no, he was chattering to himself the whole hour while Blue sang himself lullabies.

It wasn’t much of a surprise when their play turned a bit sour, their gentle squabbling over which villain was going to get their butt handed to them next turning into an all-out argument complete with raised voices and name-calling. 

Edge really should have gotten up to check on them and help them calm down fifteen minutes ago. He shouldn’t have let it go on so long, but he was so tired!

Red screeching in anger got Edge to his feet in a hurry. He made it to the doorway of Blue’s room just in time to see Red throw a toy at Blue. It hit him square in the face with enough force to knock him down and smack the back of his head on another toy. 

Blue was immediately in tears, screaming in both pain and anger as Edge rushed over to check him. Edge’s soul began to pound as Blue sat up and marrow dripped from nasal aperture. There was the tiniest of cracks on the left side, close to his socket. 

Edge’s mind began to race at the sight of the crack. He could only barely remember how he’d gotten the vast majority of his scars, but he knew they all hurt when they were fresh. 

“i didn’t mean to!” Red hollered, running up to them. 

Blue kicked at him, screaming again and barely missing his knee by a few inches. 

Edge pulled his little brother back, away from potential harm by Blue’s flailing feet. “I know, Red, but you can’t throw things like that!” He turned his attention back to Blue. “Shhh, it’s okay, Blue,” he said softly. “You’re okay; let’s get you cleaned up, okay?” He helped Blue to his feet. “Red, I want you to stay here and think about what you’ve done while I help Blue.”

Red sniffled and nodded, his gaze on his feet. Edge so wanted to scoop him up and remind him that these things happened but he needed to try to control himself a little better. He didn’t have time; he had to get Blue at least cleaned up before Rus and Gaster got home. 

Thinking of Rus and Gaster only made his soul pound harder. Gaster was a great father, very kind and attentive to his two boys, and Rus was the kind of older brother Edge so wished he could be. The fact that Gaster even let Edge and Red stay in their home spoke to the kind of man he was, even if Edge did work for his stay. He cooked and cleaned and cared for the children, but he’d do it all four times over if Gaster asked it of him. 

He set a still-sobbing Blue on the counter by the kitchen sink and turned on the faucet to wet a paper towel. After wringing it out one-handed, he tried to gently wipe at Blue’s face. Blue screeched louder and pushed Edge’s hand away. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Blue,” he said gently. “I’m not going to hurt you, buddy, but I need to get you cleaned up so I can see if you need a healer.” Stars, he hoped Blue wouldn’t need a healer. 

Blue whined and looked up at Edge with bright, starry eye lights, but he nodded and let Edge do what had to be done. Gently dabbing the smeared marrow away, Edge could finally see the extent of the crack. It didn’t go through his bone like the one in Edge’s socket, thank goodness. It was only on the outer surface of the bone, but that surely didn’t mean it hurt any less. 

It had stopped bleeding finally and soon Edge had the little guy all cleaned up. He took him to change his clothes and then set the boys in different rooms for time out, which only resulted in more screaming from children who were adamant that they were okay now and wanted to play. Red even kicked at him just before he shut the door to their shared room. 

Both kids in time out, their muffled cries still echoing through the house, Edge found himself in the bathroom and locked the door. Sitting on the floor by the bathtub, he drew his knees up and let his head fall between them. He tried to wrap his arms around his head to block out the sound, but it was hopeless. Even among the cries from frustrated children, Edge could hear the memory of Blue’s painful screaming. 

He was going to have a bruise, that was certain. Even if the crack were somehow miraculously healed by the time Blue’s father and older brother came home, there was no way to hide what had happened. 

Guilt twisted in Edge’s soul. Would he really have tried to hide it? What kind of person was he? Gaster trusted him with his youngest child, and that was how he was going to repay his kindness? No, he had to be honest and let the chips fall as they may. 

A tight sob forced its way out of Edge’s chest. He knew exactly how the chips were going to fall. This was all his fault, and if Gaster was even a fraction as smart as Edge knew him to be, he and his brother would be back out on the streets by tonight. 

If it were only Edge himself, he could handle that. He’d made a mistake and he’d pay the price. What was killing him now wasn’t what he was going to lose. No, it was that his baby brother was going to have to pay that price right along with him. Red didn’t belong on the streets. He deserved to have a filling meal each night and a warm, safe place to sleep. 

If there was a way to ask Gaster to please keep Red here, he’d do it, but he couldn’t. He didn’t know if it was selfishness or the knowledge that Red could be a handful, but he would not ask Gaster to care for his brother. 

The sudden vibration of his phone in his pocket made him jump. He hurried to his feet and pulled out his phone to silence the blaring alarm. 

He swore under his breath and went to the sink to try to clean up. Rus and Gaster would be home within the hour, and he hadn’t even started anything for dinner. 

Splashing some water on his face only marginally helped, but it was enough to calm the panic still aching in his chest. A few deep breaths later, he opened the door and went to let the kids know they could be free from time out. 

Except both their doors were open and the two were playing quietly together in Blue’s room. He stood in the doorway and folded his arms across his chest. 

“What are you two doing out of time out?” he asked, eyeing the both of them. The discoloration of a bruise was already starting to bloom around Blue’s left eye. 

“You were in the bathroom crying for a long time,” Blue said sadly. “Are you okay?”

Stars, he was going to miss that kid. 

“Yeah, I’m okay. Are you both going to be good now or do I need to separate you again?”

This time it was Red who answered. “we’re being good. i even said i was sorry.”

Well, that was something, at least. “Good. I’m going to start dinner.” Hopefully he’d have enough time to at least enjoy it with the family.

Learning to cook had been an experience Edge would never forget. He loved being able to craft tasty dinners and treats, and having a stocked kitchen like he did here made it easy to decide on something to make. At least, most of the time. Now, as Edge surveyed the cupboards, he couldn’t think of a single thing. Nothing seemed good enough. The kids, and probably Rus, would go for something simple like chili dogs or chicken strips, but if this was going to be the last real dinner Red was going to have for a while, Edge wanted to make it count. 

He still hadn’t been able to decide on anything by the time the door opened. Edge closed his eyes and gripped the side of the counter behind him to keep his balance as Blue shrieked in joy and went running down the hall. 

“Daddy!” he cried, just like every day when Gaster and Rus got home, and Edge could imagine Gaster scooping him up just like always. 

“Hello, there!” Gaster’s voice called out happily. “How are--oh my! What happened to your socket?”

“Red threw a toy at me.”

Edge hurried out to the living room to try to explain. 

Gaster looked up at him, concern on his scarred features. “Hello, Edge,” he said calmly. 

“It was my fault,” Edge admitted. “I wasn’t watching them as carefully as I should have. I promise you, Red has been punished.” He wouldn’t say that all he’d gotten was time out. He swallowed, suddenly hoping neither Gaster nor Rus would ask. 

Red peeked around the corner, and Edge’s soul hurt at the expression on his tiny face. He had hoped and prayed so many times that Red wouldn’t remember what they’d been through before living on the streets, but that expression told him otherwise. Even if he didn’t remember specifics, he knew enough. 

“i said i was sorry,” Red said softly, more a confession than a defiant statement. 

To Edge’s surprise, Rus went over and kneeled down by Red. “of course you’re sorry, buddy. we don’t mean to hurt our friends, but sometimes we get cranky and it happens, right?”

Red nodded and reached out with both arms, a silent request for a hug. Rus scooped him up and hugged him tightly. 

“are you okay?” Rus asked, bouncing Red lightly in his arms. 

Red nodded, and the urge to pull him out of Rus’ arms was nearly overwhelming. Edge forced himself to stay where he was. 

“And you?” Gaster asked, looking at Edge. “Are you okay?”

Him? “I--” 

“He cried for a long time,” Blue said sadly. “But I couldn’t hug him because the door was locked.”

Edge swallowed thickly, his cheekbones heating up. 

“Which door was locked?” Gaster asked curiously, an undertone of something perhaps more serious. 

“The bathroom,” Blue replied. “He was in the bathroom.”

Tattletale. 

Edge sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “They weren’t alone for too long, Sir--I mean, Gaster.”

In truth, Edge had no idea how long they were alone. Probably more than an hour, which was entirely too long. 

Gaster bent to put Blue down and then settled a hand on Rus’ shoulder. “Will you take the little ones to play for a moment? I’d like to have a word with Edge.”

Rus must have agreed because he coaxed the kids down the hall with promises of the best blanket fort in the world. 

“Edge? Come sit down with me.” 

Gaster didn’t touch him, not exactly. He reached out and almost set a hand on his shoulder like he did with his own son, stopping just before making contact. Edge only nodded and went with him to the living room. He knew what was going to happen next, and while he wasn’t prepared, he knew it was inevitable. It had been from the beginning. 

They sat on the couch together, Gaster folding his hands in his lap. 

“First and foremost, I want to assure you that I understand how you feel. Maybe not exactly, but close enough. I understand that bad days happen, especially when children are cranky. I can tell from Blue’s eyes that he didn’t nap today, and I’d say from what I saw of Red’s face that it was the same with him?”

Edge nodded, his gaze kept firmly on his knees. 

“You’ve handled them so well, Edge, that I have no doubts you handled the situation today with care and love.” 

That time Edge shook his head. He had to be honest. “No, I didn’t. They were alone in the bedroom and I didn’t even get up to check on them until they started arguing.”

“Why is that a bad thing?” Gaster asked. 

Edge looked at him then, a little surprised. “Because I know how Red is. He’s got a temper when he’s well-rested, and today he was not.”

But Gaster smiled. “You’re right, he does have a temper. But that doesn’t mean you have to be there every moment to stop him from lashing out. What he needs is to learn that his actions have consequences and to understand that only he can control his anger.” 

“But Blue--” 

“Got hurt. Yes, he did, but that’s not your fault either. Not entirely. What I’m saying, Edge, is that I’m not going to kick you out or ask you to leave. Red needs a stable environment to learn how to control his temper, and you need a safe place to help teach him.” 

Edge felt the tears begin to form in his sockets and tried to blink them away. He looked at Gaster for a moment before he could ask his next question. 

“Why are you being so kind to us?”

Gaster smiled again, soft and comforting. “I know a thing or two about living on the streets, Edge. I never had a little brother to care for, though, and I can’t, in good conscience, let the two of you go back to that life.”

Edge nodded slowly, trying to wrap his mind around this new perspective. He and Red weren’t going to be homeless again. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

“I didn’t start dinner,” he finally said.

“Well, that’s a different story then, isn’t it?” Gaster said, a tease in his voice. “I suppose punishment will have to be cooking with me.”

“Oh no,” Edge deadpanned, “please, not that.”

He couldn’t hide a smile in the face of Gaster’s laughter, and together they went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. 


	2. Everyday Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge and the kiddos enjoy a day at the park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what happened. This idea hit me and wrote this in 30 minutes or so. It hasn't been edited; I wanted to get it posted before I have to be to work, so please forgive any errors. 
> 
> Warning for attempted kidnapping. 
> 
> Enjoy

It was a bright, beautiful day in late spring, warm with barely a cloud in the brilliant blue sky. The grass was vividly green with pretty little flowers popping up sporadically around the park. It was maybe a little damp, too, but whether that was from morning dew or sprinklers, Edge couldn’t say for sure. 

He didn’t much care either as he rolled around with several children tackling him at once. He cried out in mock horror as seven of them formed a large dogpile over him, forcing him to stay where he was. The eighth and final child at the park that morning stepped in front of him with her hands on her little hips like the princess Edge had told her she was just the day before. 

“I hereby proclaim you ‘It’!” she said in a regal voice, reaching out to clap her hand on the top of his skull. 

Edge sighed and pretended to give up for a brief second, then he grinned wickedly at her. 

“If I’m It, then you are all far too close to get away!”

Several screams rang out at once as the children tried to scramble away. Edge managed to grab onto three of them, two of the furry fox children and Blue, and proceeded to tickle them as they all kicked and screamed for mercy. 

There would be no mercy today. 

Eventually, Juanita managed to squirm her way free and the other two took advantage of the sudden lack of grip on them to get themselves free too, and they were all off. Edge got up and chased after all the kids, loving their screams of joy and peals of laughter as they all tried their hardest to keep from getting caught. 

A few hours later, after some of the kids had gone home all tuckered out and ready for naps, Edge was pushing Red on the swing and thinking about taking his two charges home as well. Blue was rubbing his sockets and Red was getting grouchier than normal, a sign they both needed their naps while Edge prepared a healthy lunch. 

He couldn’t leave just yet though. Logan was still at the park, and his mother wasn’t back yet. She had asked Edge if he wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on Logan for a few minutes while she ran to the bank. He didn’t mind, not one bit, but she’s been gone for nearly a half an hour. 

Edge honestly had no idea where the bank was or how long it should reasonably take someone to get there and back, so he was prepared to wait another half hour if needed. 

Fifteen minutes later, Edge spotted Logan talking to someone he didn’t recognize. The kid was no more than four years old, same as Red and Blue, and human with a blonde head and bright blue eyes. He was a cutie for sure, but then most kids were. 

The unknown human Logan was talking to was unremarkable; tan pants and a blue and white plaid shirt with brown hair and glasses. There was something about him that Edge didn’t like. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the longer the man talked to Logan, the tighter his soul felt in his chest. 

He stopped the swing and shushed Red when he whined. 

“I know you want to keep going, Red, but listen to me. I want you to go sit by Blue and stay quiet, do you hear me?”

Red nodded solemnly. He knew that tone in his big brother’s voice. He wasn’t in trouble, but something was wrong. 

Edge watched Red only long enough to see that he was doing as he’d asked, then walked over to Logan. 

“What’s going on?” Edge asked. 

Logan turned to look at him with bright, excited eyes. “He says my mom sent him to get me and he has puppies!”

Edge shivered. “Is that so?” He took a moment to survey the man, taking in his stance and the challenge in his eyes. 

“Yes, that’s so,” the man said with a fake smile. “Come on, Landon.”

He held out a hand and Logan reached up to take it. “No, my name is—“

Edge picked Logan up before he could take the man’s hand. 

“Hey!” Logan protested. Edge didn’t put him down.

“How exactly do you know his mother?” Edge asked. 

“I’m her brother’s friend,” he answered, stalling only barely in the middle of the sentence. Edge noticed. 

Edge looked at Logan. “Do you know his name?” 

Logan nodded. “He told me it’s Mike.”

Edge nodded. “And he just told you today?”

Again, Logan nodded. 

“Have you ever met him before?”

Logan’s hair tickled Edge’s jaw as he shook his head. He wasn’t struggling in Edge’s arms anymore; rather, he was leaning into him and rubbing his eyes. 

Edge looked at Mike again. “I’m not going to let you take him until I have proof his mother sent you.”

Mike sputtered. “You can’t do that! Look, just let me take the kid, alright? It’s none of your business anyway.”

Edge glared. “It’s my business when I’m the one watching him. You’re not taking him. You can get upset all you want or you can get me proof that his mom asked you to get him.”

Just as Mike was about to snarl something else, a car pulled up and Logan’s mother stepped out. She rushed over to Edge with a worried expression on her face. 

“I am so sorry, Edge,” she said, panting, “there was such a line at the bank and I tried to hurry but oh my goodness they were taking forever!” She took a deep breath and smiled at Logan, gently patting his back. “You’re so tired, buddy! Are you ready to go home?”

Edge glared harder at Mike. “So she sent you, huh?” He quickly handed Logan over to his mother and stalked forward, grabbing Mike by the arm just as he turned to run the other direction. 

Pulling Mike around to slam his back hard against a nearby tree, he thrust his elbow into his throat to keep him stuck there. “I better not see you here ever again,” Edge growled. “My kids or not, I take their safety very seriously. You ever kidnapped a kid before?”

Mike shook his head. Edge kicked him hard in the shin. 

“Don’t fucking lie to me. Have you ever taken a kid that wasn’t yours?”

“N-no, I swear! I’m sorry, okay? Let me go.”

Edge pushed his elbow in harder to Mike’s throat. “If I see you here again, I’ll kick your fucking ass and take you to the police. Understand?”

Mike nodded again as best as he could. Edge stepped back and let him go, watching him carefully as he ran to a white sedan and drove off. 

With a sigh, he started back to Red and Blue. 

“Edge?”

He turned to see Logan and his mother still standing by her car. He swallowed and walked over to them. 

With one arm still holding Logan, his mother pulled Edge into a hard hug. 

“Thank you so much. I can’t...I’m so sorry I was gone that long, but you kept my baby safe. I knew you would, of course, but I never thought...just, thank you.”

Edge patted her back awkwardly. “You’re welcome.”

She sniffled and pulled back, said goodbye, and got her son loaded into her car. 

Edge watched them drive off for a moment before he sucked in a deep breath and went to take his own two kiddos home. 

They were both cranky as hell by the time they made it home, but a quick wash up to get rid of any sand or germs from the park and a lullaby later, they were both sacked out on the couch. 

Edge smiled at them both, snoring peacefully, and went to get an idea of what he could make for dinner as well as prepare some sandwiches for when they woke up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading my nonsense!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
